Double door structure



Au 11, 1931. r J. KNAGGS 1,317,921

DOUBLE DOOR STRUCTURE Filed Jan; 24, 1951 Fig. 1

Patented Aug. 11, 1931 UNETED STAT-ES PATENT orrlca JOSEPH KNAGGS, OFTOLEDO OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE SWABTZBAUGH MANUFACTUR- ING- GOMPANY, OFTOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO DOUBLE DOOR STRUCTURE Applicationfiled January 24, 1931. Serial No. 510,853.

This invention relates to door structures, and particularly to those ofthe double acting type adapted for use in food conveyors of the Wheeledtype commonly used in hospitals.

The object of the invention is the provision of a door structure of thischaracter which is simple and compact in its form, arrangement andnumber of parts, and efiiciently operable to have opposed opening orclosing movements imparted in unison thereto by giovement imparted toone of the door memers.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a door structureof this character adapted to be inserted into and mounted as a unitwithin and to the door casing, and which, when actuated to open thedoor, causes one door member to swing outwardly and downwardly to serveas a shelf, and the other to swing upwardly and inwardly tounobstructing position within the associated com partment. a

The invention is well described in the following specification, andwhile in its broader aspect it is capable of embodiment in numerousforms, one preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in Which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a foodconveyor embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on theline 22 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar enlarged section with the door inopen position, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on the line 44 in Fig.1.

Referring to the'drawings, 1 designates a food conveyor with which theinvention is illustrated as associated, and which has one or moreinterior compartments, access to which is had through openings 2 in thefront side of the conveyor.

Each opening 2 is provided at each side with a casing member 3, whichpreferably projects through the opening from the outer side thereof andextends a distance rearwardly into the'compartment. Each memthereto bywelding, riveting or in any other suitable manner. The members 3 formbroad casing walls which are preferably smooth or substantially plainfrom front to rear and provide rigid supports within the compartment towhich the door operating means may be mounted.

The door members 5 and 6, for an opening 2, are disposed one above theother, when in closed position, each closing substantially one-half theopening, and thelower door 5 being hinged at its lower edge,to the loweredge wall of the opening, as at 7, to adapt it to swing outwardly anddownwardly toopen position. The door 5 has a flange 8 projectinginwardly from each end edge and lying parallel to and substantiallyflush with the respective casing member 3.

The upper door 6, when closed, preferably has its lower edge lapping theinner top side edge of the door 5 and for that purpose has an offsetportion 9, and its upper edge is provided with the rearwardly offsetportion 10 for lapping the inner edge of the top wall of the'opening 2.The ends of the door 6 are preferably provided with inturned flanges 11,similar to the flanges 8 of the lower door 5, and fixed to andprojecting rearwardly within the compartment from each flange 11 is alever-bar 12. Each of these bars is pivoted short of its rear end to therespective casing member 3as at 13, with the pivots of the two bars,which are located at opposite ends of the door 6, disposed in coaxialrelation.

The rear or free ends of the lever-bars 12 are extendeda distance beyondthe pivots 13 and each is pivotally connected to one end of a respectivelink 14, while the other end of such link is pivotally connected at 15to the respective end flange 8 of the lower door 5. p

The mounting and connecting of the doors 5 and 6 in the above describedmanner is such that an outward swinging movement of the lower door 5will cause the upper door 6 to swing upwardly and inwardly tosubstantially horizontal position in the upper portion of the associatedcompartment, as shown in Fig. 3. The provision of the lever mounting forthe door 6 and the-imparting of movement to such door by leverageaction, causes the door 6 to have a considerably greater movement thanthe door when the doors are being opened or closed, and also causes theupper door to have a movement which is different in character from thatof the lower door. In this connection it may be stated that the upperdoor has an orbital movement about its axis, while the lower door has atrue hinged connection with the mounting and therefore a rotativemovement about its hinged axis. 7

The opening movement of the doors is stopped when the doors are in theposition shown in Fig. 3, by reason of the rear ends of the lever arms12 striking stops 16 on the casing members 3. To facilitate operation ofthe doors, a handle 17 is provided on the outer side of the door 5 nearits upper edge.

An advantage in the form of mounting and connection shown for the doors5 and C- is that the weight of the upper door (5 combined with itsleverage and link connection with the door 5 normally tends to not onlyretain the doors in closed position, but to move them to such positionwhen the upper door, upon a closing movement, has been moved forwardly asufiicient distance to move its center of gravity in advance of avertical line with the pivots 13.

I wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specificconstruction, ar-

mangement or form of the parts, as it capable of numerous modificationsand changes without departing from the spirit of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination with a door casing, of two door members mounted inthe casing, one above the other, the lower member being hinged and theupper member being orbitally mounted for opening and closing movementsin a vertical plane, and means connecting the doors for causing them tohave opposed closing and opening movements in unison.

2. The combination with a door casing, of a lower door hinged to thebottom of the easing for vertical swinging movements, and an upper doorcooperating with the lower door to close the casing'opening and mountedwith its pivot disposed at the rear of the door when in closed position,and means connecting the two doors and operable upon an outward swingingof the lower door to open position to efiect an orbital swinging of theupper door to open position.

3. In combination, a mounting forming an opening, double doorscooperating to close said opening, one hinged at an edge to the mountingand the other having a rearward extension pivoted to the mounting in avertical plane which is rearward of said hinge, and a connection betweensaid doors operable by a forward opening movement of the hinged door toorbitally swing the other door to open position at the rear of theopening.

4. In combination, means forming an opening,a door hinged at one edge tosaid means within the opening, a second door cooperating with the firstdoor to close said opening and having rearward extensions pivoted tosaid means, and means connecting said first door and extensions to causethe second door to orbitally swing upward and rearward from closedposition when the first door is swung forward and downward from closedposition.

5. In combination, means forming a casing for a door opening and havingrearwardly 6X- tended side portions, two doors disposed one above theother and cooperating to close the casing opening, the lower door beinghinged at its lower edge to the bottom of the casing and the upper doorbeing pivoted at the rear thereof to the side extensions of the casing,and means connecting thetwo doors and operable to communicate opposedopening or closing movements to the doors when either is operated.

6. In combination, a casing forming an opening and having membersextending rearward from the casing at the sides of the opening, upperand lower doors adapted to cooperate to close said opening and eachhaving a rearward extension at each end adjacent to the respectivecasing members, the lower door being hinged at its lower edge to thecasing at the bottom of said opening, lever-arms fixed to and projectingrearwardly from the end extensions of the upper door and fulcrumed tothe respective casing member at the rear of the opening, and a linkconnecting the rear end of each lever-arm to the respective endextension of the lower door to cause the doors to have predeterminedopenmg and closing movements in unison.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to thisspecification.

JOSEPH KNAGGS.

